Presents the Human Sciences Program (HSP) developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum (BSCS) staff. The program is described as modular, activity-centered, personalized, interdisciplinary, and flexible. The article also presents the HSP classroom trial schools and the dissemination centers. (HM)

Compares teacher predictions with student-use data for nine teacher-selected activities during field testing of the Human Sciences Program (HSP). The comparison reveals that in six of the nine activities, a large discrepancy exists between teacher predictions and actual student-use data. (HM)

This issue of Carnegie Quarterly focuses on a middle grades life science project in which students work together in groups to explore the properties of DNA. The project, entitled HumBio, was developed to capture young people's interest in science by promoting an understanding of their own biology so they can see how their health and well-being are…

Describes the factors which led to the development of the three year Human Sciences Program designed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) staff for the middle grades. Also presents the major learning and instructional characteristics of the Human Sciences modules. (HM)

Analyzes the Human Sciences Program (HSP) in the light of some issues related to basic skills. These issues are: (1) HSP and the three Rs; (2) HSP and other basics; and (3) HSP and classroom discipline. (HM)

Student variables which influence attainment of ecological concepts and conceptual systems were investigated. Researcher-designed paper/pencil and free-sort categorization tests were administered to 256 Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students in grades 4-6. Findings are: (1) grade and ability, not sex, influenced concept attainment…

Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) students in grades 4-6 were used to investigate ecological concept formation. Researcher-designed, multiple-choice and free-sort tasks were administered. Statistics utilized included analysis of variance, Spearman correlation, multiple regression, frequency distributions, and latent partition analysis.…

The Foundational Approaches in Science Teaching (FAST) is an interdisciplinary science program that began as a curriculum reform effort in the mid-1960s. This historical study provides insights into the FAST project and contributes to an understanding of the dynamics of survival of curricular and instructional innovations. Data collection methods…

This study is part of a larger study of teachers' use of curriculum materials in planning and teaching fifth-grade science. The study focused on one of nine teachers observed teaching "Communities," an activity-based unit from the SCIIS science program (a revision of the original Science Curriculum Improvement Study).…

In this set of six booklets on graphing, intermediate grade students learn how to choose which kind of graph to make; make bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, and conversion graphs; and use graphs to compare two sets of data. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended,…

This paper presents an overview of the inservice model used by the National Science Foundation supported Project INLAB (Integrating Laboratory Instruction and Assessment) to challenge and change science teachers' laboratory instruction and assessment practice. The framework that guides the instructional strategies and activities of INLAB is based…

In this set of five booklets on measuring, intermediate grade students learn how to use a stopwatch, choose the right tool to measure distance, use a trundle wheel, make a scale drawing, and find the speed of things. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended, long-range…

In this set of six booklets on simplifying data, intermediate grade students learn how to tell what data show, find the median/mean/mode from sets of data, find different kinds of ranges, and use key numbers to compare two sets of data. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on…

Teams of teachers from four middle/junior high schools, in collaboration with faculty from the University of New Hampshire and consultants from the New Hampshire State Department of Education, implemented systemic changes in the teaching of mathematics and science. The curriculum goal was to design, adapt, implement, and evaluate hands-on,…

In this set of six booklets on collecting data, intermediate grade students learn how to collect good data, round off and record data, do an experiment, make an opinion survey, and choose a sample. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended, long-range investigations of real…